1. (a) Credentials: To be approved by the board to carry out or sign prescription drug orders and issued a prescription authorization number, a Registered Nurse (RN) shall:

   1. (1) have full or provisional authorization by the board to practice as an advanced practice nurse.

      1. (A) RNs with provisional authorization to practice as graduate advanced practice nurses who are eligible for prescription authorization numbers shall be limited to prescribing for categories of dangerous drugs only.
      2. (B) RNs with Interim Authorization to practice as advanced practice nurses are not eligible for a prescription authorization number;

   2. (2) file a complete application for Prescriptive Authority and submit such evidence as required by the board to verify the following educational qualifications:

      1. (A) To be eligible for Prescriptive Authority, advanced practice nurses must have successfully completed courses in pharmacotherapeutics, pathophysiology, advanced assessment, and diagnosis and management of problems within the clinical specialty.

         1. (i) Nurse Practitioners, Nurse-Midwives and Nurse Anesthetists will be considered to have met the course requirements of this section on the basis of courses completed in the advanced educational program.
         2. (ii) Clinical Nurse Specialists shall submit documentation of successful completion of separate courses in the content areas described in subsection (A) of this section. These courses shall be academic courses from a regionally accredited institution with a minimum of 45 clock hours per course.
         3. (iii) The board, by policy, may determine that certain specialties of Clinical Nurse Specialists meet one or more of the course requirements on the basis of the advanced educational program.
      2. (B) Clinical Nurse Specialists who have been approved by the board as advanced practice nurses by petition on the basis of completion of a non-nursing master's degree shall not be eligible for prescriptive authority.
2. (b) Sites: Prescribing privileges are limited to eligible sites to include sites serving certain medically underserved populations, physician's primary practice sites, alternate sites, and facility-based practice sites.
3. (c) Exceptions Granted by the Texas State Board of Medical Examiners: Requirements for utilizing limited prescriptive authority may be modified or waived if a delegating physician has received a modification or waiver from the Texas State Board of Medical Examiners of any site or supervision requirements for a physician to delegate the carrying out or signing of prescription drug orders to the advanced practice nurse.

Source Note:The provisions of this §222.2 adopted to be effective November 26, 2003, 28 TexReg 10502.